Overview

Understanding the awareness and perception of a company is vital to developing efficient and effective marketing initiatives and targeting customers to increase sales.  Perspectives Consulting Group, Inc. conducts awareness and perception surveys with consumers and business-to-business customers to meet the unique information needs of a variety of companies.  These surveys are one of the only ways a company can learn what factors are important to customers and where their company ranks among the competition according to customers.

Since the information needs are different for every company, Perspectives Consulting Group, Inc. focuses on identifying and providing relevant information using a customized research process.  Generally, awareness and perception surveys are conducted by telephone.  Our research process includes developing a survey tailored to the needs of our client, conducting telephone interviews with customers and potential customers, analyzing the results by demographic categories, and presenting the survey results to the company’s management and staff.

Awareness and Perception Surveys

In the past, companies have used awareness and perception surveys to:

• Measure the awareness of the company among potential customers
• Explore the perceptions of the company among customers and potential customers
• Test advertising and promotional strategies for the company among customers and potential customers
• Determine how businesses make purchase decisions including timing and cost sensitivity
• Identify differences in target customers’ awareness and perceptions by demographic categories
• Determine the needs and concerns of customers and potential customers
• Understand what factors are most important to customers and potential customers when selecting a company
• Identify demographic information such as age, household income, gender, job title, annual sales, industry, etc.

The survey process begins by meeting with our client to identify the survey objectives.  The survey is then developed to address those objectives and meet generally accepted survey practices.  Once the survey is approved by our client, the interviewing process begins.  On average, awareness and perception surveys are five to seven minutes in length.  Analysis of the data and preparation of the report is completed within a few weeks of interviewing.  Once the report is completed, the project personnel from Perspectives Consulting Group, Inc. will present the survey results to the company’s management and staff.  The majority of awareness and perception surveys require between ten to twelve weeks to complete.  The cost to conduct this type of research is dependent on the number of surveys to be completed and the length of the survey.

Awareness and Perception Survey Outline

The following outline lists topics that could be included on an awareness and perception survey:

Awareness and Perceptions

• Knowledge of company and services
• Overall opinion of company
• Perceptions of company and services 

Marketing and Advertising

• Seen or heard of company
• Best methods of communication (radio, TV, billboards, etc.)  

Customer Satisfaction

• Overall level of satisfaction with company
• Reasons customers and potential customers like and dislike the company  

Competition

• Leading competitors to the company
• Important factors in selecting a company to work with
• Level of satisfaction with company compared to the competition 

Consumer Demographics

• Age
• Gender
• Household income
• ZIP code 

Business Demographics

• Annual sales
• Job title/position
• Years with company
• Industry